Verbena plant named ‘Baltuburg’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Baltuburg’, characterized by its burgundy flowers, spreading and trailing habit, and sharply lobed, dark green leaves.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Verbena hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Baltuburg’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct verbena plant,botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Baltuburg’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breedingprogram during 1998, at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program was the development of verbena cultivars with aspreading and trailing habit, continuous flowering, excellent basalbranching and dark green foliage.

The female or seed parent of ‘Baltuburg’ was the verbena variety‘SUNVP-SU’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,311), which exhibits a vigoroustrailing habit, scarlet flowers and medium green foliage. The male(pollen) parent of ‘Baltuburg’ was the proprietary verbena breedingselection PAS-984116, which exhibits a vigorous trailing habit, deeprose-red flowers and dark green foliage. ‘Baltuburg’ was selected inSeptember 1999 as a single flowering plant from within the progeny ofthe above stated cross and was initially designated 932.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar, by terminal tip cuttings, wascarried out during 2000 and 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and WestChicago, Ill. Such asexual propagation has demonstrated that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmly fixedand retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits burgundy flowers;

(b) forms sharply lobed, dark green foliage;

(c) exhibits a good basal branching character; and

(d) exhibits a spreading and trailing growth habit.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to ‘Balazdapi’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,807). In side-by-side comparison, the newcultivar has fewer flowers per inflorescence and the flowers are morered than the flowers of ‘Balazdapi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants weregrown for approximately 10 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 shows a mature plant, exhibiting its characteristic spreadinggrowth habit.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of an individual inflorescence in full bloom.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of inflorescences.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

‘Baltuburg’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length. The chart used in the identification ofcolors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England. The color values were determinedon Feb. 15, 2002. The readings were taken between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.under natural daylight conditions. The plants were produced fromcuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in a doublepolycarbonate covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown for 14 weeks whileutilizing a soilless growth medium and maintaining temperatures ofapproximately 70° to 80° F. (21° to 26° C.) during the day andapproximately 62° to 65° F. (17° to 18° C.) during the night and lightlevels above 5,000 footcandles. The following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown at West Chicago, Ill.

Classification:

Botanical.—Verbena hybrida cultivar ‘Baltuburg’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—‘SUNVP-SU’.

Male parent.—Proprietary breeding selection PAS-984116.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip.

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 14-21.

Root description.—Fibrous, branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.—Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. Pinchingimproves basal branching. A mature plant, 14 weeks after the planting ofa rooted cutting, measures approximately 10.1 cm in height andapproximately 39.3 cm in width.

Form.—Mounded, trailing and spreading.

Stem.—Tetragonal, approximately 67 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter,with dense pubescence. Color is 146D. Internode length at middle of stemis approximately 3.5 cm. Roots tend to form at internodes.

Foliage.—Leaves are opposite, ovate with sharply lobed margin, acuteapex and attenuate base. Upper and lower surfaces are densely coveredwith short, stiff hairs. Veins of lower surface are very denselypubescent. Leaf length is approximately 4.5 cm in length andapproximately 3.2 cm at widest point. Upper surface is 139B and lowersurface is 137C. Upper and lower surfaces have pinnate-reticulatevenation. Color of venation on upper surface is 144C. Color of venationon lower surface is 139D. Petiole surface is densely pubescent, lengthis approximately 9 mm, diameter is 3 mm and color is 139D.

Flowering description:

Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse environment andspring through autumn in outdoor garden.

Inflorescence type.—Type: Corymb. Size: Approximately 3.4 cm deep andapproximately 5 cm in diameter with an average of 19.6 fully openflowers per inflorescence at any one time. Lastingness of individualbloom: Approximately 10 to 14 days.

Peduncle.—Length is approximately 7.4 cm, diameter is approximately 2mm, surface is densely pubescent and color is 146D.

Bud.—Round, approximately 3 mm in diameter and 72A in color.

Petals.—Five, non overlapping, flat and fused at base forming a corollatube. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire.

Corolla.—Diameter is approximately 2.2 cm. Petal length is 1 cm andwidth is 8 mm. Color of upper surface of petals when first open isredder than 79A. When fully open the upper surface is darker than 71A.Lower surface of petals is 72A at margin, 72B for next ⅔ of length and155D at base around tube opening. Whiskers of 77C surround the openingof the corolla tube. Petal color fades to 79A with age.

Corolla tube.—Length is approximately 2.1 cm, diameter at tube openingis 2 mm and diameter at base is 1.5 mm. Outer surface is slightlypubescence but becomes dense near opening. Pubescence of inner surfaceis moderate. Color of inner and outer surfaces is 145D.

Sepals.—Five, fused to form calyx. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:Entire. Calyx lenth is approximately 9 mm in length, diameter at base is2 mm and diameter at apex is 3 mm. Outer surface of sepals is denselypubescent and 144A. Inner of sepals is smooth and 144C.

Reproductive organs.—There are 4 stamens fused to the corolla tube. Twoare positioned even with the stigma and two are positioned below thestigma. The anther length is approximately 2 mm and the color is 144B.Pollen is abundant and 2B in color. There is one pistil, 2 cm in length.The stigma length is approximately 3 mm and the color is 144A. The stylelength is approximately 1.5 cm and the color is 144D. Ovary length isapproximately 2 mm and 144A.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Reistance to pathogens common to verbena has notbeen observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena hybrida plant named‘Baltuburg’ substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a)exhibits burgundy flowers; (b) sharply lobed, dark green foliage; (c)exhibits a good basal branching character; and (d) exhibits a spreadingand trailing growth habit.